After the storm, there may be a rainbow
by TiLiYu
Summary: After a terrible accident, Heiji is left as good as dead, both physically and mentally. But once the visible wounds are healed, will he be able to find the will to go on, to wait for the rainbow that could appear after the storm ? That's what Shinichi would like him to realize... But will he be determined enough to support him all the way ? *HEISHIN*
1. Chapter 1 : Storm

**Hi there !**

 **Welcome in my new story, a _little_ two shot : )**

 **That one was a bit of a challenge to me. I had already thought about writing something with a HeiShin pairing. A dear follower convinced me to do it, and to do it more than seriously in fact, and to include mature parts.**

 **So unlike everything I've done yet, there won't be any canon relationships in there, just BL.**

 **For the shiest of you, I wrote an alternate chapter 2 (chapter 2 "censored"), without the lemon. Please go to that version if you're underage !**

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 _ **Pour mes français, désolée, il n'y aura pas de traduction.**_

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 **SUMMARY : After a terrible accident, Heiji is left as good as dead, both physically and mentally. But once the visible wounds are healed, will he be able to find the will to go on, to wait for the rainbow that could appear after the storm ? That's what Shinichi would like him to realize... But will he be determined enough to support him all the way ?**

 **CHARACTERS : Heiji and Conan/ Shinichi.** **We'll be mostly in Heiji's POV and, due to certain circumstances, the style will be a bit jerky, to stick to his mood.**

 **SPOILERS : Vermouth's arc.**

 **PAIRING : HeiShin. Mentions of KazuHei and ShinRan**

 **WARNING : M for sex and mention of suicide.**

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 **Chapter 1 : Storm**

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It hurt. It so damn. Hurt.

Heiji managed, with great effort, to turn his head to see his bike explode in a gigantic flame that lightened all the buildings around, turning them into a bright red despite the dark night.

He knew he should have felt the warmth, being so close but... No. He wasn't even hearing a sound. He couldn't even feel his fingertips. He had been surprised to even be able to move his neck.

But he knew... Knew he was forgetting something important.

But in the silence of his head, where he could only hear the sound of his own unruly breathing, the thoughts didn't manage to come clear.

The dark-skinned closed his eyes an instant, to cut himself from the mayhem around him.

When he opened them once again, he saw someone was bending on him. Someone he didn't know but his uniform told him he was a medic, and there was worry on his face as he looked at him.

The Osakan's attention was fluttering , not really draught by him, but more by his colleague, just behind him. That other man was also bending on someone.

The furthest articulated something, something Heiji couldn't hear but he knew it wasn't good news, seeing how the medic near him darkened.

And then he saw.

And then he remembered.

That he wasn't alone on his bike.

When the medic got up with a sad face, he tried to sit, tried to see who was at the man's feet, half hidden in his shadow. Despite his efforts, the only thing he could see was an orange ribbon.

Tainted with blood.

That's when the green-eyed teen's mind gave up.

The dark oblivion of unconsciousness was far better that what was happening just now in front of him so he gave up and welcomed it with relief.

o.O.o

Conan's eyes fell on Ran, as he was struck by grief.

He hadn't been trying to get in touch with his best friend recently. Perhaps it was because Hattori was usually the one calling, asking for new cases or bragging about the ones he solved with brio. He hadn't been expecting that, in those three weeks he didn't hear from him, the Osakan's life could have turned so wrong.

The small detective had almost begun his call by his usual "Hey, Hattori !" and he had been relieved he didn't for once, as Heiji's mother had been the one on the other side of the line.

"- Oh, Heiji-niichan's mother ? Hello ! Did Heiji-niichan forget his phone ?

\- Hello, Conan-kun... "

The azure-eyed boy remembered he had noticed at that moment how tired she sounded, how depressed...

"- Could I speak to Heiji-niichan ?

\- I'm sorry, he can' answer right now..." She had answered with a sigh.

"- Did... anything happen ?" The kid had asked, dreading for the truth, frozen in fear as never before.

"- I don' think I can... Ya're too young ta hear that... I'll be callin' yer uncle, it'll be better.

\- Please tell me..." Conan asked, almost begging, and it had nothing to do with his role as a little boy. He just couldn't...

The woman sighed once again, before making her decision. "There has been an accident. Heiji has been in a coma fer a week now. An'... Kazuha... She didn' make it."

And that was when the detective's mind went blank.

He barely remembered he had hung up, mumbling something about telling Ran and Kogoro, promising to visit soon.

His phone still in his hands, he left his room to see Ran was in the living room, her usual smile on the face, that smiled he liked so much but was going to disappear in a minute, with what he had to tell her.

Still shaking himself, he took a deep breath." Ran-neechan..."

o.O.o

They had left the following morning, forgetting school or work, this was too important.

Never Conan would have thought the trip between Tokyo and Osaka could be so long. He had been taping nervously his fingers against the window's frame, unable to stay still, unable to look at Ran also.

The girl had clearly not been sleeping much, and tears didn't leave her face since he told her about the accident. She was managing to keep a straight face but he could feel her shake on the seat on his right.

How could that happen ? Ok, Heiji wasn't absolutely cautious when he took his bike, that time they chased the Kaitou Kid and he ended with a sprained ankle after a traffic accident proved it. But never when he was with Kazuha. He never accepted her to come with him if there was any risk for her to be hurt, if she forgot her helmet for example.

Knowing that, just how violent had been that accident for her to be killed on the spot ?

Unable to answer those questions yet, he gave up and tried to focus on the landscape he could see through the train's windows, to calm himself.

But that didn't really work.

o.O.o

Conan had been able to sneak back into Heiji's room when the others had decided to force the Osakan's mother to take a break, seeing how tired she was, and share a light collation with them.

They arrived two hours ago already, and could have, more thanks to the staff than thanks to Shizuka's stutters, some more detailed explanations.

A truck had forced his way through a crossroad and, not noticing them until the last moment, had hit the back of the bike at full speed. Kazuha, the closest to the other vehicle, had been sent flying a dozen of meters away, the shock so hard her helmet fell a bit further behind her.

Head unprotected, at high speed.

She probably didn't even have the time to feel she'd been hit.

Since the back of the motorbike had been pushed forwards, the bike had turned around and Heiji had been slammed against the truck itself, before finally falling on the floor, his bike on one side, him on the other.

The small detective's eyes fell on his best friend as he grabbed a seat to settle near him.

He looked incredibly pale, despite his usual dark skin, lost in those white sheets and the monitoring surrounding him. The Osakan was in need of assistance to even breathe so a lot of machines were here, beeping or making sounds at each heartbeat or each breath.

A bandage was around his head, last remains of the severe commotion he had, and Conan knew that, if he looked under the cover, he'd see more around his torso, around his broken ribs, and he'd see the plaster around his left leg.

Even after a whole week at the hospital, Heiji still looked like a mess.

But the doctor had been affirmative.

The green-eyed teen's condition was improving : he should have been able to wake up by himself by now.

The only reasonable explanation was that he wasn't fighting to come back.

And Conan could guess why.

Taking the dark-skinned hand in his, he looked at his best friend. "Hattori, don't you dare to give up... What happen wasn't your fault so no need to inflict than on you... Kazuha wouldn't want you to let yourself die for her, you won't accomplish anything by that. In fact, you may even angry her, wherever she is. And I'm sure that you don't want that.

So... Don't give up... " The boy concluded, the hand holding Heiji starting to shake. "Don't you dare to give up, we have a lot of crimes to solve together when I'll have my body back..."

o.O.o

The small detective had probably been dozing off as he found himself half-lying on the Osakan's bed, his hand still in his. With a quick look around him, he could see Ran, Kogoro and Shizuka were back in, but they hadn't woken him up.

No, what had woken him up was...

"- Hey, I think Heiji-niichan is waking up, I felt his hand moved !" He exclaimed, looking closer at the teen, seeing indeed his eyes were starting to roll behind his closed eyelids.

"- I'm getting someone ! " Ran said, going out as the Osakan's mother rushed near him, Kogoro on her heels.

"- Heiji" She called, gently stroking her son's forehead. "Wake up... I know ya can do it..."

At her touch, Conan's felt the hand he still held was twitching, to finally squeeze his.

"- Heiji-niichan !" He spurted, when he saw two green irises looking vaguely in his direction.

The eyes focused more and more on the boy, starting to fill with wonder at his sight, before a light of comprehension appeared at the doctor's outfit.

Even his blurry mind could get that. He was in a hospital.

Only question was how the hell he had ended there.

o.O.o

Conan grabbed Ran's hand, to draw her attention as he saw she couldn't control her sobs, her eyes on the picture surrounded by flowers in front of her.

As it had been a car accident, the police had forced the family to wait more than a week for the funerals, time for the investigation to take place. And the night of the day the three of them arrived, the wake could finally take place.

The only thing that should have enlightened this day should have been the fact Heiji had at last managed to wake up from his coma but... The boy shook his head with sadness, remembering the face of his friend as he was told about what happened. His memories had been getting clearer and clearer by the minute and he finally broke when he realized the one he loved wasn't alive anymore. Broke was really the word. The only thing that stopped him from trashing in his bed had been the three medics holding him and the sedatives they had given to him. The teen's look had turned blank and he was forced back to his bed, with restraints for the moment.

It had been hard for the small detective to see his best friend like that, it brought a kind of bitter taste in his mouth, and he felt a heavy weight on his chest. If the same happened to him, to Ran, he wasn't sure he'd be in any better condition.

But that wasn't the less heartbreaking to see.

Ran turned to him, to check if he was alright as he tugged her sleeve, quickly passing her other hand through her face to get rid of the remaining tears.

"- You ok, Conan-kun ?

\- Could we go out a bit ? " He pledged with a childish face.

Hesitating, the girl turned her head at Kazuha's father, also in tears, under the friendly pat of Heizô. But she had seen the sadness in the boy's eyes, and guessed it wasn't easy for a small kid to witness that kind of event. "Sure." She decided, leading him with the hand out of the crowd.

Once out, the girl understood she needed that break as much as Conan.

"- Are you ok, Ran-neechan ?" The small detective asked, returning her question, a worried face turned at her.

"- I'm... I'm..." The long-haired teen's legs gave up under her and she finally let her grief out while hugging Conan against her.

"- It's... it's so hard..." She sobbed. "I can't believe... Kazuha-chan is gone... And Hattori-kun... there wasn't any life left in his eyes... Did we lose them both ?"

Eyes also shining, the fake child patted her, stroking her back, waiting for her to calm down.

He had been surrounded by death since his youngest age but to see teenagers dying, above all when they were his friends, was clearly affecting.

o.O.o

"- Hello, Mouri-han !" Otaki's voice cheerfully saluted as the detective opened the door of his office. "Come on, say hello too, Hei-chan.

\- Hi...

"- Oh, hello !" Kogoro welcomed, trying to put a smile on his face, despite his concern for the boy who just stepped in.

He hadn't any bandages left and only a slight limping was reminding Heiji had been so close to die. But he was clearly thinner and his eyes were almost as dull as last time he saw the teen, one month ago at Osaka's hospital.

The Hattori family had asked him if they could send him a bit to Tokyo, for him to have some fresh air. Osaka and their house were clearly bringing back too many memories of Kazuha, they hoped that staying with Ran and Conan, in a less familiar place, could help him to get a bit better.

"- Why don't you go upstairs ? Ran and Conan are waiting for you." The moustached man proposed, guessing Otaki would want to speak a bit with him about the boy's condition, and very probably not in front of him.

With a nod, the green-eyed teenager slowly headed upstairs, to be welcomed by Ran's hug as she saw him on the doorstep.

"- Hattori-kun ! Come in, come in ! " She invited with a big smile.

At her enthusiasm, the Osaka's lips rose a bit, in a kind of social reflex to answer to her behaviour.

"- Conan-kun, Hattori-kun's here ! "

The boy arrived, kind of expecting what he was going to see but it was still hard to see it with his own eyes. He knew the green eyed was going through a severe depression but it hadn't been that obvious when he had been lying in his hospital bed. Now that the teen was standing, with low shoulders, bags under his eyes, sunken cheeks, so different of his usual easy-going temper, it was really heartbreaking.

Conan had been trying to keep in touch the previous month but had been only getting sporadic answers and had had to do the conversation all by himself but he didn't mind. Having a friend didn't mean to be here only on the good occasions. Supporting each other was also part of the deal and Heiji had clearly done more than his share since he met him, it was time for him to pay down his debt, and calling regularly didn't ask for much.

And the small detective didn't regret it a single bit, remembering with a chill that night Heiji had sounded even darker than usual... Worried, the boy had called the Hattoris and they had been able to stop their son from doing a big mistake but at what cost. He was now filled with meds, kept in a half lethargic state, most of his sharp mind buried under a kind of pile of blankets cutting him from the outside world.

Retaining the sigh that wanted to go out, Conan displayed a smiling face and welcomed his friend.

"- Hey, Heiji-niichan ! We're lucky this time, Kogoro-jiisan said he was going to let us his room !

\- I didn' mind sharin'...

\- Maa, you need to rest and that's not with my father' s snoring you'd have been able to ! He'll take the couch, this will remind him is old good days when he quarrelled with my mother..." Ran said with a smirk. "Let's grab something to eat, you're just skin and bones, I can't leave you like that !"

o.O.o

"- Hey, Hattori, you ok ?" Conan worried as he was woken up in the middle of the night by the detective who was turning in Kogoro's bed, with slight groans. "Oi!" He called again, getting up as he saw by the faint light coming from the windows his friend seemed in pain, sweat pearling on his forehead.

The boy tried to touch him, to be pushed away by the Osakan's arm, as if he was fighting some kind of opponent in a nightmare. Seeing how the teen was moving, visibly suffering, the azure-eyed kid decided to call for desperate measures and, avoiding once again his arm, sat on his friend's stomach, both his small hands on his shoulders to try to force him to stay still.

"- Hattori ! Wake up !" He hissed, not wanting to wake the others. "Heiji!"

The teen jerked to free himself and Conan barely avoided the hand thrown at his face, though not completely, and he grimaced as the blow hit his chin, sending his head backwards.

"- Come on, you Baka!" The small detective swore, sending his small hand in a slap across his friend's face.

Finally, Heiji opened his eyes, looking with startle at the kid on his lap who was rubbing his painful chin with a bored face, and brought his hand to the cheek he just slapped.

"- Just what...

\- You had a nightmare..." Conan explained, moving away to sit on the bed near the Osakan.

"- Did I..." He wondered, as he saw the boy was still with his hand against his face, proof he'll very probably have a bruise the next morning.

"- And I slapped you after, one point each, so never mind that...

\- Sorry..." The green-eyed apologized, hiding his face behind his arm. "Looks like hurtin' the people dear ta me is the only thin' I'm good at...

\- Stop this nonsense, Hattori. You've never hurt anyone voluntarily.

\- Involuntarily is just as bad... " He sighed with a depressed voice, forcing Conan to react.

"- Stop that !" The boy ordered, wrestling with Heiji to force him to remove the arm he had in front of his head. Once against lying on him, he locked his eyes in his, a serious expression on his face. "Stop blaming yourself from what happened, it was a damn accident ! You've always been thoughtful about the others, Hattori, I won't let you say you aren't. You saved me more than once, may it be physically or mentally, and I know I'm not the only one.

\- That's until I have ya killed one day with my clumsiness or my hot bloodedness... Ya'd better leave me alone, it'll be safer fer ya. It'd been better fer everyone if ya hadn' stopped me that night... "

For the first time, Conan seemed to start to lose his calm and grabbed his collar. "I'm here and don't you dare to think I'll leave you ! I won't tell you everything is good but work with me, not against me. We'll find you a way out of this. But don't give up. You're not alone. I don't want you to die and I won't let you, so stop thinking that's the solution ! "

Heiji blankly stared at his best friend, seeing the fierce expression in his eyes and feeling the emotion in his voice with that last statement, as if he was almost pledging him. He didn't even know himself where he was going, he had just wanted all that pain to stop, to just disappear. For the first time for long, he started to understand he'd be only hurting more the people around him if he kept thinking that way.

"- Sorry... Was egoistical once again..." He admitted, with a shaking voice, looking away.

\- You bet.

\- But it's so..." The Osakan couldn't even finish his sentence, turning on the side, curling into a ball, feeling that tears would soon be coming, trying to preserve what was left of his pride as he could.

"- I know... " Conan whispered, moving to hug as he could his best friend in his tiny arms, feeling he was shaking. "But stay strong. It can only get better, ok ?"

The teen slowly nodded, the boy felt his head move against his chest.

The morning found them in the same position : it had been the first time for long Heiji had been able to sleep so peacefully.

o.O.o

After one week of Ran's cooking and Conan's constant nursing, Heiji was starting to have a bit more life in his eyes and he very probably managed to take one or two kilos. Nights were still a bit hard but, feeling his presence soothed him, the small detective had slept with him, back against back, to keep a physical contact with him.

The only problem was, for the Osakan, that he was supposed to leave that very day, to go back to his own house. And he didn't think he could face it yet.

"- Hey, Hattori, it's ok, we're not that far away... " The azure-eyed boy was saying, his eyes on his best friend's face as he crouched near his bag, seeing he was reluctant to pack.

"- I know... I can' stay forever here, one freeloader is already enough fer the Mouris..."

Heiji was trying to joke but the kid could tell he wasn't really in the mood to, with his sad look despite the little smirk on his lips.

"- ... Clearly. " He brushed off the joke, before locking his eyes in the other's, putting his tiny hand on the dark-skinned detective's shoulder. "But call me if you don't feel well, ok ? That's no request, that's an order.

\- Yes, mum..."

"- Good." Conan smiled, happy to see that last answer was given with humour, real one, not something that was half a facade.

With a last squeeze, he released him, hoping the teen would be able to improve his condition, even back to that place filled with memories of Kazuha.

But he knew depression was an insidious creature, able to force someone to show a happy face and just waiting in a corner to drag him back to the deepest sorrow, and that scared him.

The boy, eyes on Heiji's back as he was starting to really pack his things, promised to himself he'd call even more often that last month.

o.O.o

Once alone the following day, back at home with his mother after his father left to work, Heiji had been trying to order his thoughts, trying to focus on what Kudô had been telling him, trying to find in those words the force to live. It was still a bit hard to him : he very often felt lost between the desire not to suffer anymore and the desire not to hurt anyone anymore.

That second day home, for the first time since the accident, the dark-skinned had been grabbing a shinai in the training room and was now exercising a bit, wanting to move his body to find the peace of mind his sport could bring to him. After a little while fighting imaginary enemies, a satisfied smile was starting to appear on his face, but fell as fast as it came.

Unable to understand why at first, he found himself on his knees, his breath knocked out. Raising his head towards the daylight, the Osakan finally realized. Realized he had never noticed how that little window in the training room, when it was opened, looked like the one he had spotted his first love through in Kyoto, with its wooden bars.

And that single memory was enough to throw him to the floor, his body limp with sorrow.

His first love.

Kazuha.

Heiji hadn't even been able to confess to her.

He had known for a little while already she was more than a friend to him. And hoped, perhaps even knew, that the feelings were mutual.

But it was over... He had been too slow and she was gone now...

He was lost in his dark thoughts when his mother's hand on his shoulder made him jump. And that's when the detective turned his head at her he understood he had been more than daydreaming. The afternoon was already gone and it was dark outside.

"- Heiji... ya ok ?" Shizuka asked with concern, seeing his eyes were red and that there were some dried tears on his cheeks.

"- ... Yea..." He managed to articulate, trying to get up, to find out he couldn't feel his toes, after being so long in the same position.

"- It's time ta eat...

\- I'm comin', meet you there." He answered, grabbing his shinai on the floor to hide his uneasiness.

"- OK..." His mother answered, leaving the room silently.

After she left, the green-eyed teen winced a bit but managed to stand, and headed without a word to put back the wooden sword on its shelf and to grab his phone he had left there.

With a surprised look, he saw Kudô had tried to call him three times and texted him twice. It wasn't the small detective's style to be calling that much, so he guessed he had worried him, as he didn't pick up his phone.

Not looking or hearing at the messages, he quickly dialled his best friend's number, heart beating fast, hoping to find some comfort, the kind he really missed last night as he was alone, looking at the ceiling as he couldn't sleep, too lost in his dark thoughts.

"- Hattori ?! The hell, I've been so worried, you didn't answer my calls the whole afternoon !" Conan's voice spurted, speaking fast, letting his concern show in his voice.

"- Sorry, I was... " Heiji began, before his eyes fell on the window that troubled him earlier. "I was...

\- Hey, you ok ?" The azure-eyed boy asked, feeling at his tone his friend was down. "Truth please." He added after a short pause, realizing he had let enough time to the Osakan to compose himself, to the point he could try to lie to him.

"- ... No." His friend admitted in a depressed sigh, keeping for himself whatever polite formality he'd find to lie and say he was good, knowing his friend would notice.

"- Hey, hold on this week, ok ?" Conan tried to cheer him up, quickly thinking about a way to have his friend by him without disturbing the Mouri again. "It'll be the golden week after, I'll ask to Hakase if we can go to his home, that'd be ok to you?

"- Hmm..." The dark skinned hesitated, not wanting to impose his presence again on the bespectacled detective.

"- I want to see you next Sunday at his door, you got that ?" The boy finally ordered with a strong voice, knowing he had too if he wanted his friend to accept.

"- OK, ok, I got it..." Heiji gave up, remembering how having the small detective by him had been helping earlier, hoping it could work again.

"- Good. I'll call tomorrow again, be sure to have your phone near you !

\- I will..."

Conan looked at his phone with a sad face as he hung up. His friend had been so quick to darken again, when he'd been improving so much at the office...

What was he playing at ?! He wasn't to be depressed, that wasn't just him ! To think he'd even consider suicide at one point was just so not Hattori-like. Just how could he have been so...

He had to find a way to bring him to his normal self, it hurt him so much to see the Osakan like that !

With a sigh, the fake boy made his mind to force himself to think about a way out, knowing he'd have until the next weekend to think about it.

o.O.o

When he heard his friend started to move with small whimpers, Conan, who had not been sleeping, expecting something like that to happen, approached with worry.

Once more, the green eyed detective was lost in a nightmare... No wonder it went bad again so fast, if his nights were filled with memories of the accident.

With a sigh, the boy nudged the other awake. "Come on, leave me some place in your bed, it seemed to work last week.

\- What ?" Heiji asked, jumping awake as he felt the small kid was sneaking under the covers to put his back against his. Once he felt the other's back, slowly moving at the rhythm of his breathing, The Osakan had a sigh of satisfaction. "Uh, thanks...

\- You're no kid anymore, Hattori" Conan grumbled, throwing the blanket over his head. "You'll have to remember how to sleep peacefully alone once day.

\- Sorry... I don' know why, I kind o' need it at the moment..." The green eyed admitted, as he felt that being close to the small detective was indeed helping him to feel better.

Well, he knew a bit why of course. That was what had been missing at home. Human warmth. And the only one that was satisfying him at the moment, the only that gave him the feeling he was whole, not broken in a thousand pieces like after the accident, was Kudô's. He had that kind of reassuring presence that would send butterflies into his stomach, overwhelming his mind with just satisfaction.

The other detective was a pillar in his life.

His lifeline even, in those darks times.

To the point he couldn't imagine himself without him, without his warmth, without his presence, the only one who understood him, the only one that could sooth him.

His eyes snapped open as he realized it reminded him of another feeling.

"- Hmm, you're not sleeping... ?" The boy asked, half asleep, turning to nudge his head against the other's back.

"- It's... it's ok..." Heiji stuttered, embarrassed, blushing as he tried to turn into words that feeling he just identified.

There was one thing he knew for sure. What he felt was clearly beyond recognizance.

o.O.o

It was with startled eyes, mouth still half opened by surprise, that Conan saw the Osakan's face move away from him.

After he kissed him.

After he so damn kissed him on the lips !

Heiji was supposed to leave the next day and, when the boy had woken up, still half curled around his pillow, back turned to the dark-skinned detective, he had approached him and, after checking he was now awake, he bent on him to put a chaste kiss on his mouth.

"- What the heck... Hattori ?!" The azure-eyed swore, sitting and rubbing his mouth with a kind of disgusted look on his face, not really believing what just happened, still feeling the other's lips on his, along with his scent. "What the heck are you... If that's your idea of a joke, then let me inform you it's poor !" He concluded with an angry look.

The green-eyed, on his side, was displaying a slight embarrassment, a faint blush on his dark skin, but his look was peaceful and clearly not malicious. "It wasn't." He calmly stated, still surprised he had dared to do that, blaming his own hot bloodedness but knowing he wasn't the kind to be able to hold back very long.

The teen had thought about it the whole week, after he identified that feeling that was making him feel so better with the other teen. That feeling that had until now been destined to one single person in his life before fate wrenched her away from him.

He didn't want to break his friendship with Shinichi but he couldn't just keep that for himself. It had to go out. He had done the same mistake with Kazuha, it wasn't possible for him to let that occasion pass and take a risk once again.

Heiji felt Kudô was deeply attached to him but to what extent ? Ignoring that last question, knowing he was taking the risk to be rejected, he knew he still had to and had bent on him.

"- Ww.. what ? ! " The small detective asked, his bored cool fading away, startled as he understood his friend was serious.

"- Kudô, I think I'm in love with ya."

Conan's face turned blank, not really at ease, not getting what was happening. Until a light of comprehension switched on in his mind. "Hattori... Just think about it... When did it start ?

\- I think I've been able ta put a name on it at the beginnin' o' the week.

\- And what did you think of me before ? Let's say, two months ago ?

\- ... Felt close but not that much..."

The boy sighed, getting off the bed to walk in circles in the room. "Listen to yourself, Hattori, you're just describing some kind of Stockholm syndrome... You've been hurt, I've been helping you since and your mind, clouded by sorrow and meds, thinks I'm some kind of lifeline. I'm sure you thought about it... "

Heiji bowed his head as his best friend used the same word he himself used when he had thought about it earlier that week. "Lifeline". He nevertheless looked into his eyes again.

"- Yea... o' course. I'm not absolutely able ta say it's not but... I feel that's not that. It's more than that..."

Conan shook his head with sadness, feeling indeed his friend wanted to be serious but it was just...

"- Sorry, Hattori but... I... got Ran, I'm not into ... this." He concluded with a shrug, his face still a bit distorted with disgust as he remembered the kiss.

Spotting his expression, Heiji had a small sigh, before forcing a smile on his face. "Yea, I know that, sorry I forced...

\- Sorry..." The boy deplored, trying to decipher the other's face. "You okay ?

\- Don' worry, I'm good..." The dark-skinned stated, raising his hands and waving them as to erase that discussion from both their minds. "I just need ta breathe a bit, I'll be right back."

The small detective looked at his friend as he got up and grabbed some clothes, before nodding at him when he left the room.

Throwing himself back into the bed, Conan crossed his arms under his head and tried to order his thoughts.

Since he met him, the Osakan had been taking an important part of his life. They shared everything ... The cases... His "size" problems... He was really feeling in sync with him, as a kind of lost brother you'd meet years after being so long together and so long separated...

 _"But that ?"_ The boy thought with a chill, bringing his fingertips to his mouth, remembering the kiss they shared.

It's not that he found that disgusting... Clearly not ! But... it wasn't natural, right ?

Maybe Hattori was able to accept those kind of feelings but he... And he had Ran... Well, not in this shrunken body but... Yea, he had Ran...

He'd never...

Nah.

Boys love wasn't his thing, he decided.

o.O.o

The kid had perhaps been dozing off a bit, all he knew is that, when he got up, a dark expression still displayed on his face, he was welcomed as he reached the last step of the stairs by Ai's glare.

"- What?" He snapped at her cold eyes.

"- What happened again ?" She retorted with a bored face. "Aren't you supposed to help that friend of yours ? Why was he half crying when he left the house ?

\- I'm looking after..." Conan didn't finish his answer and fell silent halfway.

He finally realized.

He had been trying to get rid of his friend's too deep affection, unable to accept his feelings but...

But pushing Heiji away at such a moment would only...

The small detective shrieked in his head with a blank face.

 _" What if... what if..."_

He couldn't even finish expressing his own thoughts in his mind, remembering the sad smile on the Osakan's face and the "I'm good", the exact same one he heard at the phone the day the dark-skinned tried to...

 _"Oh my, where is he ?!"_ He worried, knowing he had to rush to find his friend before he'd turn to commit anything irreparable.

The boy's eyes fell on Haibara, and he remembered that time Hattori's father intervened to stop his own son to end his life, barely able to brace him despite his size, the teen having been really determined.

"- Haibara ! Would you happen to have some antidote ?" He urged her, knowing he'd need his grown-up body.

"- Kudô-kun, this is not some kind of aspirin you know..." She retorted with her best haughty look.

"- I think Hattori is going to try to do something stupid and I may not be able to avoid that with Conan's strength... His father had barely been able to retain him last time..." The detective explained, knowing being honest should be the quickest solution to force the little scientist to act.

And indeed, she gasped at the news and headed with wide eyes as fast as her little legs allowed her to her underground lab.


	2. Chapter 2 : Rainbow

**Chapter 2 : Rainbow**

* * *

"- Hattori ? Heiji !"

Still a bit panting in his grown up body, Shinichi had grabbed some clothes from Heiji's bag and was now at his own home, to check if the teen didn't hide himself in there, but only silence answered to his calls.

Not finding anyone during his quick inspection, he started to jog to the detective office, guessing his friend would go to familiar places if he wanted to do anything stupid and he didn't know a lot in Tokyo.

The azure-eyed detective face-palmed, trying to imagine, as creepy as it could be to him, what kind of way the other would use to end his life.

The Osakan would never take the risk to hurt anyone, so he wouldn't be the kind to jump under a train or from a building, that wasn't his style...

Drowning maybe, with the sea just near but any detective would know how difficult this way could be. Being young, they'd try to reanimate him if they found him and that could just turn to be a living hell for the rest of his life.

There was no chance he'd have his hands on a gun, being in a foreign town, it was too hard to get...

Medication overdose was more feminine and, being already so filled with it, he probably already had his share.

They'd be a lot of other ways but most needed more organization, so remaining solutions would be hanging and knife.

And they were the kind that needed some calm not to be stopped.

And the calmest place would be...

 _"That bastard..."_ Shinichi swore as he turned back.

He knew Heiji would be at his home : the detective would have hidden himself, waiting for him to check the house as it'd be the first place he'd look in, to be sure to be all alone after.

And that pissed him off so much, to know his friend was using his detective's brain to deceive him !

Once again panting as he crossed the threshold of his house after he ran like mad to go there, the Tokyoite's attention was caught by the sound of running water, somewhere upstairs.

 _"Knife then ?"_ He darkly concluded, rushing to the stairs and to the bathroom.

Shinichi took a deep breath as he saw his friend on the floor, eyes lost in the bathtub that was slowly filling, playing without probably knowing it with a kitchen knife.

Hearing the sigh despite the water, the Osakan turned his head at the entrance, a bored look on his face, his weapon still firmly in his hand.

"- Ya shouldn' have come back..." He flatly commented, his hand shaking around the knife's handle, knowing it was going to be harder now.

"- Don't do that, Heiji..."

The azure-eyed teen saw the other's mouth twitch at this name, that one that, except for his family, only Kazuha used. But he knew he had to use his first name, to draw his attention." I'll call an ambulance before you even start to bleed.

\- I'll just have ta aim fer the throat..." The dark-skinned retorted, raising his blade to his neck, his grip on the handle firmer than before. "It'll be a mess an' it's trickier but it'd work. An' don' even think ta use that watch o' yers..." He darkly added, seeing the tiny move of the other towards his wrist. "I'll be dead before ya even open it.

\- Don't be stupid, don't do that..." Shinichi finally resolved to pledge, locking his eyes in his, not knowing what other way he'd have to convince his friend not to kill himself.

"- I can'... " Heiji said, his shaking starting again, lowering his head to try to hide the pain visible on his face now. "I just can' go on. Bein' at home hurts me... Bein' by yer side hurts me... The two places I felt the best at are gone. Just... Just let me put an end ta this.

\- I won't." The Tokyoite firmly objected, trying to keep a straight face despite the fact it hurt him to hear the green-eyed speak like that.

"- Why ?" The Osakan wondered, looking at him again with an interrogative face, not understanding why his best friend couldn't just let him go, let him leave this world to another, one that could only be sweeter than that. "Just forget me, go back ta yer life. Ta Ran. Just tell yerself I died in that accident, an' that'd be all.

\- I can't..." Shinichi admitted, his voice breaking, clearly not far away from sobbing. "Don't you dare think you're not important to me ! I can't imagine my life without you so just... Just stop saying stuff like that ! "

The detective of the West had a bitter smile, noticing the distress by his friend. "So ya're tellin' me ta live fer ya ? Even if ya're aware I'll suffer by yer side ?" He concluded with irony.

"- No, I...

\- Ahou..." Heiji gently scolded with a little smirk at his friend's sad face. He got up and let the knife go. "I didn' want you ta see me doin' that so, if ya don' leave, I will. Don' try ta follow me."

The Tokyoite got up on shaking legs, and, his resolve strengthening, he tackled the other unceremoniously on the floor, sitting on him and pinning both his hands on each side of his head as he felt he started to trash.

"- The hell I'll let you kill yourself." He stated with determination, staring at the teen under him. "Look at you, you're so feeble you can't even fight me anymore... You're not yourself, admit it !"

The Osakan, after he calmed a bit, aware after a few tries he wouldn't be able to free himself, felt his face blushed as he noticed the other was sitting on a very specific spot of his body and was bending so close to his face, being holding his arms.

"- Don'... Don' hold me like this unless ya want ta... unless ya're serious about it. Else it hurts too much." He stated, turning his head to look at the wall to hide the red on his cheek.

Shinichi looked with wide eyes at the teen, not understanding how so little contact could distract him.

 _"And to that extent ?!"_ He wondered in his mind, blushing with embarrassment as he felt the kind of "reaction" he was getting from the other's lower body just by sitting on him.

And then he understood. He understood there probably was a way to stop his best friend from doing something stupid.

It's just it was... So strange ?

He wasn't disgusted by it... It's just he never thought of Heiji like that. The teen was handsome, clearly, in perfect physical shape, but Shinichi knew he was a hetero... Mostly ?

Wasn't there that pinch of... curiosity about same sex relationships ? ...Something else ?

And just how far was his pride going ? If that's all it took to stop his best friend to take his life, he had to try, without even a second thought...

"- I'll let you do want you want ..." He proposed in a whisper, drawing the other's attention back on him. He went on, bending his head even closer to Heiji's. "But just promise me you won't say you want to die anymore." The azure-eyed ordered, closing his eyes to put a slight kiss on the Osakan's lips.

The dark-skinned was now as red as a tomato, unable to believe the other just...

"- Ya... Ya don' even know what ya're offerin', Ahou..." He stated with a low voice, turning once again his look away.

Not even minding to answer, the detective of the East let go of the wrists of the Osakan and started to unbutton his own shirt, before throwing it away, his determined eyes locked in the other's.

Heiji blushed, gulping as he looked at his friend, more than conscious that he was somehow back to his grown-up body, detailing his torso as he never had, his pale skin, his thin but efficient build.

The teen was looking at him as if he was waiting for something, the Osakan could read it in his azure eyes, those piercing eyes that had been giving him chills lately, that had turned to a kind of lighthouse in his life.

Unable to retain himself anymore, the dark-skinned suddenly moved, swinging his legs to exchange their places, finding himself sitting on Shinichi's pants. Bending on him, he gently cupped his face, staring at him with his green eyes and finished his manoeuvre with a deep kiss, closing his eyelids to enjoy the moment. Feeling the other wasn't fighting to get free, he dared to let his tongue enter the game and played with Kudô's, stopping only when he couldn't breathe anymore.

At this exchange, Hattori felt his excitement arose, and soon let his hands wander on the other's torso, stopping to play softly with his nipples. Feeling they hardened, he soon let his mouth go to focus on one of those, licking, nibbling the little pink appendix, starting to rock his hips to rub crotch against crotch, panting and silently moaning at the explosion of sensations.

His brain suddenly managed to regain control of his body, sending pikes of horror to his heart as he saw when he moved a bit away that Shinichi was keeping his eyes tightly closed, his whole body tensing in what very probably was fear of what the other was going to do to him.

With disgust, the Osakan kicked himself so fast away he almost slammed his back on the wall behind him.

"- I'm the worst..." He bitterly said, banging his head on the cement he was leaning against. "I can' believe I was goin' ta..." The detective added with a blank voice before, feeling nauseous, he rushed back to the bathroom.

Hearing the precipitated footsteps, the azure-eyed raised his head to see Heiji was facing the toilets, sick with disgust. He crossed the small distance between them and circled his chest with his arm from behind. "I told you it was ok..." He said, putting his head against the detective of the West's back.

"- Ya're even more stupid than I am... Yer whole body says it doesn' want ta..." The green-eyed teen pointed out when he was finally able to turn to the other, with a blank face and a dirty shirt.

Seeing the stain on the cloth, Shinichi approached his hand to remove slowly the buttons of the shirt.

"- Just don'...

\- It needs to be washed." The Tokyoite stated with pragmatism, pushing away the arm Heiji had put between them, his hand already on the last button.

Once the shirt fell, he looked at the other chest, impressed at the muscles he could distinguish, though they weren't too prominent, and gave a harmonious effect. Clearly, Kendo helped with having a nice upper body. With a sad smile, the azure-eyed teen's hand gently touched the remaining scars of the accident, with its shining new skin, just near his left floating ribs.

When his azure eyes met the other's green, he saw the surprise in Heiji's look, clearly wondering how he could still want to touch him. Wanting to brush that wrong idea he had away, the detective of the East bent to let a swift kiss on the Osakan's lips.

"- I'm tensed because I'm a bit afraid." He admitted as he moved away. "But not of what you could do to me. I know you wouldn't hurt me."He added with a warm smile. "Ne, let's just forget everything. Everything that happened, everything that could happen. Who we are. And let's forget everything that could happen tonight, starting tomorrow.

\- That's..." The dark-skinned tried to articulate with an incredulous face, not knowing what to do or what to think, divided between his male urges and common sense. "Kudô, it's...

\- Shinichi." The other teen corrected with a firm voice, feeling names should stop to be a barrier between them.

"- Shinichi, that's..."

Hattori's objections were interrupted by his moaning as the azure-eyed forced him on the floor and started to play with his tongue on his torso, soon focusing on his nipples, licking them slowly until they hardened.

Leaving his chest alone, Shinichi approached his mouth to his ear. "I said, let's forget everything..." he reminded to him, before going back to what he was doing.

Heiji could clearly feel those small ministrations were enough to bring him back quickly to the sensations he had just 10 minutes before, turning him on as the Tokyoite stroke every part of his naked skin, nibbling his ears, leaving hickeys on his shoulders.

Faintly struggling, the Osakan finally grabbed his wrist to warn him with a low voice. "K... Shinichi, I ... won' be able ta stop if we go any... further...

\- I got that. " The Tokyoite confirmed, getting easily rid of his hand, and getting up to fetch something in his father's cupboard.

The dark-skinned detective eyes were wide when he saw he was coming back with condoms and a bottle of lubricant.

"- My father told me he hid that in his cupboard. For me. If one day I wanted to..." Shinichi explained with an expression of embarrassment.

"- Even lub ? He is clearly open-minded...

\- Lub isn't only for gays you know..." The azure-eyed pointed out with a small smirk, remembering that day his father introduced to him both items, with perhaps more details than what he could hear at that age but definitively useful. His smirk fell as a chill shook his body. "Could we just go elsewhere than in the bathroom ? The tiles are freezing... "

The Osakan had a mocking smile at his friend's weakness against cold and got up to follow him, wherever he wanted to go.

Two minutes later, both were sitting on Shinichi's bed, embarrassed, avoiding each other's look, the lub and the condoms let in a corner, not too close to them .

"- So this is it ?" The Tokyoite finally spurted, breaking the heavy silence.

\- Ya know ya still can...

\- Shh!" The azure-eyed ordered, a finger on his lips.

"- 'kay, 'kay..." Heiji gave up, though it wasn't that reluctantly, with what he was feeling just now, clearly eager to go further but not wanting to force or rush anything.

He pushed gently the bare-chested detective in the bed, heading directly south to unbutton his trousers and slipped his hand just against the other's most sensitive member, stroking him through the thin cloth.

Aroused by the contact, Shinichi was starting to finally let go, ignoring everything else, just focusing on the pure pleasure that was starting to cloud his senses, wanting to share his excitement with the other. His body was now less tense, except for one single spot, the one which was the centre of all the Osakan's attention.

The azure-eyed barely had the time to realize the dark-skinned detective had been removing the trousers he wore when he suddenly gasped, the other having managed to get his length out and started to lick it while a hand was rubbing its base.

He tried to sit up by reflex, to be pushed back by Hattori, meeting his now feverish green irises, that stare that was so filled with desire it made his crotch twitch, unable to stay indifferent at it.

Not fighting anymore, Shinichi let his head down to the bed with a sigh of satisfaction, just enjoying the touch. As most guys, he already jerked himself off, clearly, but this was totally another dimension to have someone else touching you.

The Osakan's tongue was gently playing with the tip of his member, while his hand was moving back and forth against its basis, sending stimuli of pure pleasure to his brain, forcing him to wonder how much more he could take before losing it.

He knew he was now at his full size, and he guessed he wasn't the only one who realized as, with another gasp, he felt the dark-skinned had swallowed him whole, now using both his hand and his mouth to circle his length, to suck him as hard as he could. As if it was so natural for his body to move by himself, the Tokyoite felt the need to rock his hips and his partner answered to that move, adjusting his own to have the same rhythm, sending chills until his spine.

He tried to sit again to push a bit away the green-eyed detective's head. "Heiji, I'm going to..." He managed to articulate.

His eyes widened as, instead of moving away like he expected, the Osakan even accelerated his moves, sending the Tokyoite beyond the point of no return, groaning as he hit the first orgasm that wasn't self-induced in his life.

Unable to think, he saw the other detective never let go of his member and was licking him clean, still sending spikes of pleasure in his throbbing lower body, and the sight of him wrapped around his member was the final touch of his arousal.

Panting as he caught his breath after Heiji let him go, wanting to do something for the teen who had already given him so much that night, he tried to catch the lubricant but was still too shaking for that.

It was with wondering eyes the Osakan understood the message, that his friend wanted to go a step further.

"- Ya...really want ta go all the way ?

\- Didn't I say we'd forget everything... that would happen tonight ? Better... have something to forget then..." Shinichi pointed out with a faint smile, still a bit short-breathed. "Is that your first t..." He dared to ask, and saw the green-eyed teen's nod. "Same here... Do you know how to... " He added, a bit embarrassed, with a sign of head to lub and condom abandoned on a corner of the bed, like some kind of dangerous creatures.

"- I kind o'... looked a bit into that yea... Ya better be... the one goin' in, I think..." The detective of the West explained, blushing and stuttering as he was considering the possibilities.

"- As you wish...

\- Yea, from what I heard bein' penetrated can be..." He couldn't finish his sentence, even his ears red now. "Never mind, I'll prepare myself..."

Removing his pants under the azure-eyed boy's smirk as he noticed they were a bit wet from his previous ministrations to each other, the Osakan grabbed the lub after he threw away his remaining clothes and put some of the slippery substance on his fingers.

Not really wanting the Tokyoite to see him, Heiji turned on himself, presenting his face more than his back to his partner as he put one, then quickly a second finger in himself.

Now able to sit up, the effect of the orgasm starting to fade a bit, Shinichi grabbed the bottle the other just put back on the bed and came closer to him, moving to force him to present his desirable rear as he lubricated his own fingers. While he was pinching one of the dark-skinned buttocks with half his lips, half his teeth, he gently showed away the Osakan's hand, to put his fingers instead.

The green-eyed teen's back arced as a groaned with surprise and pleasure, feeling his friend's fingers were able to penetrate clearly him deeper than his own, reaching that little spot that was so important for males.

The Tokyoite, startled at the chills he sent in the other's body with just his hand, tried to touch again that little excrescence that seemed to trigger a burst of sensation by his partner and gently stroke it with his fingertips.

The Osakan's hips started to move, there also almost by reflex, to thrust his lover's hand back and forth, stimulated by his alternation of caresses and scissor-like movements, the other naturally guessing that, if the goal was to be able to let something bigger enter after, he'd have to stretch him a bit.

"- A third..." The dark-skinned managed to ask between two pants, feeling he was starting to lose himself as Shinichi was putting soft kisses on his hips, still hitting his prostate at the same time, and groaned when he felt his desire fulfilled.

At all this groaning and the sweat now appearing on the perfect body of his partner , the azure-eyed started to arouse once again, knowing at how hard he was that he'd be ready pretty soon to go for another round.

"- Heiji, should I ... ?" He proposed in a whisper.

At his nod, the teen gently removed his fingers, feeling once again the Osakan arced at the move, and quickly grabbed a condom to cover himself, tearing the wrapping with the teeth.

The green eyed on his side had been grabbing the lub to prepare himself one last time before the penetration and, with a malicious look, circled his lover's length with his fingers full of product to help him finish to put his condom and add some lubrication.

The Tokyoite answered his look with a smirk and pushed him to the bed on his back, gently opening his legs, eyes locked in the other's. He approached, giving a little lick to the aroused member on the way, to see the chill of pure pleasure by the Osakan with a smile, before positioning himself.

"- I'll be going in..." He preferred to warn.

"- That I can see..." The green-eyed answered, sticking his tongue at the obvious statement.

Shinichi smirked back, before focusing, not wanting to hurt the other by being too precipitated or too clumsy.

Feeling Heiji was guiding him with his hands to the good spot, he put his hands near each of his shoulders on the bed and advanced slowly. He suddenly felt he was starting to go in, and the groan of the Osakan indicated he felt it too.

Inch by inch, trying not to go to fast, looking carefully at his partner's face to be sure he was soft enough, the azure-eyed groaned, feeling how tight the other was and how stimulating it was for him.

Unable to stop himself, he finished to go all the way in with a firm push of the hips, triggering a cry by the Osakan, a cry he could identify was between excitement and pain.

"- Are you ok ? Did I hurt you ...?" Kudô worried, putting a soft kiss on the dark-skinned teen's eyelid, to feel with concern a little tear was forming

"- Just let me the time ta... " Heiji answered, trying to control his voice, not to let the other hear the mix of emotions he felt, with the throbbing of his body fighting this foreign body suddenly invading him.

But the difference between pain and arousal being so thin, he finally identified after a tiny little while the latter was now the most present. "Ya can move... I think.

\- ... kay. " The Tokyoite said, though no absolutely convinced, so he kept his attention on the green-eyed detective's face.

He nevertheless started to move, slowly at the beginning, glad to hear the Osakan was moaning at each of his thrusts, grabbing the cover under him, lost in those sensations he never experimented, lost in the pleasure but feeling something was... He grabbed the other's neck to draw him at his head, sharing a passionate kiss and finally whispering in his ear when he let him go. "Harder..."

Excited by the tone, almost pledging, Shinichi quickly positioned differently, grabbing his partner's hips for more effect, and throwing himself as deep as he could in him.

The resulting groan of pleasure indicated he was on the right track and he repeated that move once more, and once again...

He soon stopped counting, starting to lose himself, drown in his own pleasure, feeling he was still so sensitive after that first orgasm he was clearly not going to last long against those sweet, sweet sensations.

"- Shin, it's so..." Heiji panted, feeling he was so close to reach his climax.

The azure-eyed bent and grabbed one of his friend's erected nipples between his teeth, his tongue gently playing with it, before sucking it while he thrust himself even harder, back and forth, aroused at the other's strong reaction to his moves, to his touch.

"- Shinichi !" The dark-skinned finally exclaimed, grabbing the other in his arms as he felt the orgasm hit him as a truck, epitome of the pleasure he accumulated until now.

Shinichi on his side had done his best to stay on the edge to bring Heiji to the other side but the throbbing now wrapping his own member was just too much and, with a final grunt, he also ejaculated.

He returned his friend's hug, feeling too limp to do something else, and they stayed like that a moment, long or short, neither knew, too lost in the pleasure of that very instant, their bodies still chilling at the sensations which had been overwhelming their minds and erased everything, to let them in a peaceful oblivion.

Shinichi finally pulled himself out, removing the condom that was starting to be disagreeable against his skin, and both fell asleep almost at the same moment, still in the arms of each other.

o.O.o

Eyes suddenly snapping open, the Tokyoite woke up with a start, to find an empty spot at his side, just where Hattori had been lying.

He quickly got up, still naked, to see only his clothes - well, the clothes he borrowed to the Osakan - were on the floor and Shinichi started to dread for the worst, before spotting a note on his bedside table.

Sitting as he grabbed the little paper, he started to read it, his face saddening at each word.

 _"_ _I'll respect that promise, I won't try to kill myself. Won't try to die either. That, I assure you._

 _Thank you for last night. And sorry I forced you, I don't think I'll ever be able to face you after that._

 _We won't see again, I'll be_ _leaving the country, finding myself something to do, some other place to belong to. Send my stuff back to my parents, if you can._

 _You're the best thing that happened to me, Shinichi. Sorry I spoiled it all._

 _Heiji"_

The azure-eyed teen's hands were clenched really hard around the note, as he was lost in his thoughts.

He didn't know, and that was quite new to him...

What happened last night was... Of course it had to do with his friend's distress but... He'd never say he regretted it. Or did it out of pity. Out of curiosity maybe. And he clearly couldn't deny he appreciated the sensations they shared, the warmth of the Osakan against his skin, the peaceful oblivion after they shared what some retarded would call a sin, a same sex physical relation.

He knew he had Ran to come back to but Heiji was also an important part of his life and to lose him was just...

The detective saw the tears on his hands and the paper before he knew he was crying.

He knew his friend would respect his promise.

He had managed to save his friend's life. But at what cost ?

In the end, for him, he was as good as dead...

Shinichi let himself lie back in the bed, crossing his arms before his eyes, and sobbed, sobbed like never.

o.O.o

"- Get down !"

Conan froze as he recognized the voice, even with such a short exclamation, that voice he hadn't heard for two whole years, that warm voice and its accent that gave him chills just at the thought.

But freezing in the middle of a hideout of the Organization wasn't a good idea, above all after a fierce fight, when only the most desperate and most dangerous members were the only one standing, starting with Gin and Vodka in that very room.

"- Ahou!"

The small detective only saw a dark shadow rushing to him, wrapping him between his wide arms, protecting him from any harm.

They rolled together, while two detonations echoed in the warehouse, and Heiji quickly pushed him behind a pile of wood boxes, getting two guns out.

"- Take that one... An' try ta go ta the other side..." He panted, giving one of the weapons to the boy who left with a nod.

Grimacing as he left the cover of the boxes, he shot towards the men in black and hit Vodka, sending him to the floor, not moving anymore.

Heiji's smirk when he saw he got his target quickly faded as his legs gave up under him and he had to put a knee on the floor, bringing his hand to his side as he coughed blood.

"- We knew you dogs would come with damn bulletproof jackets so we prepared a little surprise..." Gin stated with a smile, though his eyes were icy-cold as he approached the dark-skinned, his weapon aimed at his head

"- Piercin' bullets... Ya... Bastards..." The Osakan concluded, understanding the two impacts he had previously felt against his back had been going right through his vest, very probably wounding him heavily, seeing how feeble he felt and the taste of blood in his mouth.

"- That's it... Good bye." The blond-haired said, ready to fire.

"- Good bye to you !" The azure-eyed intervened, pulling his trigger, hitting the killer in the torso and sending him to the floor.

He quickly approached, kicking the man's weapon out of his reach, before turning to the green-eyed, not understanding how he could be here, look filled with startle.

"- Nice shot..." Heiji observed with a faint smile before finishing falling on the floor, unable to stay awake anymore.

"- Heiji !" The small detective called with worry, rushing by his side, horrified to see his hand come back tainted with blood as he tried to pat him. "HEIJI!"

o.O.o

"- It's been two years he's been helping us." Jodie stated as she sat near Conan who was on a chair, near the ER's door, head between his arms to hide his distress.

"- What ? !" The boy asked, suddenly turning at the FBI agent with a surprised look.

"- He called me one night. Asked me if he could help us." The blond-haired explained, her eyes dreamy as she remembered that evening. "He had only two demands. First was to help us against the Organization. Abroad if possible. I knew how valuable he was and English wasn't a problem to him so I convinced my boss to train him despite his age and sent him to our headquarters in the US. I visited him once or twice, I must say I've been impressed at how motivated he was and how he improved so fast each time I saw him. Six months ago, he was declared operational and sent back here, as a support against the BO. The fact he was young and a native Japanese was clearly an advantage in this fight.

\- And the second ?" The Tokyoite asked, though he had already guessed the answer.

"- Not to tell you the truth. He helped you in the shadows, Cool Guy." Jodie confirmed, locking her eyes in his. "Participated in a lot of missions. He was the one who found out the site we were in today. Usually, he didn't want to come in the operations you were having a role in, but he knew this could be your last fight and he didn't want to miss that.

\- And that's what sent him here... That baka." The azure-eyed boy sighed, looking at the red light above the door next to him with eyes filled with sorrow.

His eyes were starting to shine when he felt his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Conan gulped, not wanting to answer with a broken voice, and picked up the call. "Yea ?

\- Kudô-kun ? You ok ?

\- Yes... " The detective preferred to lie, not to worry the little scientist at the other side of the line. "We got them. Anything new on your side, Haibara ?

\- I made it. The antidote. It's ready, Kudô-kun, thanks to the info you gave me. You can go back to your true body whenever you want."

The boy stayed silent, feeling he wanted to rejoice but wasn't able to, with Heiji undergoing an emergency surgery barely 10 meters away.

"- Kudô-kun ?

\- I got that. Thanks, Haibara. I'll be calling you later.

\- OK. Sure you ok ?

\- Mostly, yes. Laters."

Conan rubbed his temples after he hung up, still a bit divided about his feelings. That antidote he waited for during two long years was finally ready. But at what cost...

"- Everything alright ? Bad news ?" The FBI agent enquired, seeing he was done.

"- Nah, on the contrary. The antidote is ready. I can go back in my former body.

\- That's _great_ news ! " She exclaimed with a smile, glad to know he'd be at least back to himself.

She had learned the truth one year before, when he became really active in his hunt, and had been forced to share with the FBI that information that explained a lot of things about him. The fact the temporary antidote wasn't working anymore because he overused it also had rushed his decision to spill the beans.

"- But you don't have your "great news" face..." The girl stated, seeing how dark he still was.

"- How could I rejoice when Heiji is between life and death ?

\- He's strong you know. He wouldn't give up. Go and take that antidote so you'll be able to welcome him with your grown-up body." She ordered with a firm voice. At Conan's hesitation, she decided to add. "I'll call you if anything happens, ok ? It's barely a matter of hours, I don't think much would change in such a short notice. Take a taxi, you'll be faster to come back here."

The azure-eyed boy hesitated but finally took the money she was handing to him. "Sorry. Thanks..." He corrected at the blond-haired woman's frown.

"- Go !"

With one last nod, he rushed to the door, taking his phone out to warn Haibara he was coming at the professor's.

o.O.o

Heiji's eyelids were just beginning to flutter as Shinichi entered the room, a cup of coffee in his hand.

"- Hey !" He smiled, settling back on the chair he had just left near his best friend's bed.

"- H..." The Osakan tried to say, before starting a coughing fit.

"- Easy, you've just been extubated, take your time." The azure-eyed detective explained, turning to fetch a plastic glass filled with water with a straw in it.

As he was slowly drinking the liquid, the dark-skinned teen's eyes fell on his friend, to notice he was back to his normal body.

"- I thought... The antidote didn'...

\- ... Work anymore ? Yea. But for the definitive one, that's a different thing.

\- It's... Ya'll stay in that form ?!"

At his friend's nod, the detective of the West had a wide smile. "That's great, ya'll be at last ... able ta go back ta yer Nee-chan..." He started to say without any bitterness, feeling truly happy for his friend.

"- We separated." Shinchi interrupted him. He had a sad smile at the other's surprise. "After you left, I found the courage to tell her the truth. It was a hard blow on her. On us. I hurt her. Every minute of every day since. I had lost the hope to go back to my body. She... gave up last year, she couldn't wait for me anymore, this life filled with lies was too much for her. She found herself someone else a few months ago. That was perhaps for the best, they seem happy.

\- If yer body or yer lies were the problem... then go back ta her, everythin' is over now..." Heiji pointed out with his usual honesty, a scolding look on his face, knowing how his friend had been in love with Ran, since they were young.

"- Heiji... I can't really say I stopped her to go away." He answered, shaking his head. "In fact, there was that little part of me who thought... Ne... Did you forget that night... ?" Kudô asked, locking his eyes in Hattori's and taking his hand.

"-What night ? " The Osakan said with a straight face, before smirking at the other's wounded look. "O' course not, ya Ahou.

\- Well, neither did I. Question is... Did anything change ? I would understand, I've taken my sweet time to...

\- Ya mean... Are ya... ?" Heiji tried to ask, blushing as he wasn't able to articulate a whole sentence, too surprised at the other's words, not wanting to believe in what he was implying

Amused at the red on his cheek, Shinichi bent on his friend to put a kiss on his lips. "I love you, Hattori Heiji. Sorry for being so long to understand it."

A wide smile on his face as the azure-eyed was moving away, the dark-skinned felt butterflies in his stomach, and it had nothing to do with his wounds. "I love ya too, Shinichi. My feelings didn't change since then.

\- Then hurry up to heal, how can I hug my boyfriend when he's bandaged from head to toe ?! " The detective of the East gently scolded, squeezing tenderly his hand.

"- Aye sir!" The Osakan said, rising a hand to his forehead as he could in a kind of military salute.

Happiness was written all over his face : after such trials, after such a long time, after such a roller coaster, between the darkest place and the highest pleasures.

Heiji thought about something Kazuha used to tell him, to cheer him up in difficult times.

 _"_ _After the storm, there may be a rainbow."_

And indeed, he had found his.


	3. Chapter 3 : Rainbow - CENSORED

**Chapter 2 : Rainbow - CENSORED**

* * *

"- Hattori ? Heiji !"

Still a bit panting in his grown up body, Shinichi had grabbed some clothes from Heiji's bag and was now at his own home, to check if the teen didn't hide himself in there, but only silence answered to his calls.

Not finding anyone during his quick inspection, he started to jog to the detective office, guessing his friend would go to familiar places if he wanted to do anything stupid and he didn't know a lot in Tokyo.

The azure-eyed detective face-palmed, trying to imagine, as creepy as it could be to him, what kind of way the other would use to end his life.

The Osakan would never take the risk to hurt anyone, so he wouldn't be the kind to jump under a train or from a building, that wasn't his style...

Drowning maybe, with the sea just near but any detective would know how difficult this way could be. Being young, they'd try to reanimate him if they found him and that could just turn to be a living hell for the rest of his life.

There was no chance he'd have his hands on a gun, being in a foreign town, it was too hard to get...

Medication overdose was more feminine and, being already so filled with it, he probably already had his share.

They'd be a lot of other ways but most needed more organization, so remaining solutions would be hanging and knife.

And they were the kind that needed some calm not to be stopped.

And the calmest place would be...

 _"That bastard..."_ Shinichi swore as he turned back.

He knew Heiji would be at his home : the detective would have hidden himself, waiting for him to check the house as it'd be the first place he'd look in, to be sure to be all alone after.

And that pissed him off so much, to know his friend was using his detective's brain to deceive him !

Once again panting as he crossed the threshold of his house after he ran like mad to go there, the Tokyoite's attention was caught by the sound of running water, somewhere upstairs.

 _"Knife then ?"_ He darkly concluded, rushing to the stairs and to the bathroom.

Shinichi took a deep breath as he saw his friend on the floor, eyes lost in the bathtub that was slowly filling, playing without probably knowing it with a kitchen knife.

Hearing the sigh despite the water, the Osakan turned his head at the entrance, a bored look on his face, his weapon still firmly in his hand.

"- Ya shouldn' have come back..." He flatly commented, his hand shaking around the knife's handle, knowing it was going to be harder now.

"- Don't do that, Heiji..."

The azure-eyed teen saw the other's mouth twitch at this name, that one that, except for his family, only Kazuha used. But he knew he had to use his first name, to draw his attention." I'll call an ambulance before you even start to bleed.

\- I'll just have ta aim fer the throat..." The dark-skinned retorted, raising his blade to his neck, his grip on the handle firmer than before. "It'll be a mess an' it's trickier but it'd work. An' don' even think ta use that watch o' yers..." He darkly added, seeing the tiny move of the other towards his wrist. "I'll be dead before ya even open it.

\- Don't be stupid, don't do that..." Shinichi finally resolved to pledge, locking his eyes in his, not knowing what other way he'd have to convince his friend not to kill himself.

"- I can'... " Heiji said, his shaking starting again, lowering his head to try to hide the pain visible on his face now. "I just can' go on. Bein' at home hurts me... Bein' by yer side hurts me... The two places I felt the best at are gone. Just... Just let me put an end ta this.

\- I won't." The Tokyoite firmly objected, trying to keep a straight face despite the fact it hurt him to hear the green-eyed speak like that.

"- Why ?" The Osakan wondered, looking at him again with an interrogative face, not understanding why his best friend couldn't just let him go, let him leave this world to another, one that could only be sweeter than that. "Just forget me, go back ta yer life. Ta Ran. Just tell yerself I died in that accident, an' that'd be all.

\- I can't..." Shinichi admitted, his voice breaking, clearly not far away from sobbing. "Don't you dare think you're not important to me ! I can't imagine my life without you so just... Just stop saying stuff like that ! "

The detective of the West had a bitter smile, noticing the distress by his friend. "So ya're tellin' me ta live fer ya ? Even if ya're aware I'll suffer by yer side ?" He concluded with irony.

"- No, I...

\- Ahou..." Heiji gently scolded with a little smirk at his friend's sad face. He got up and let the knife go. "I didn' want you ta see me doin' that so, if ya don' leave, I will. Don' try ta follow me."

The Tokyoite got up on shaking legs, and, his resolve strengthening, he tackled the other unceremoniously on the floor, sitting on him and pinning both his hands on each side of his head as he felt he started to trash.

"- The hell I'll let you kill yourself." He stated with determination, staring at the teen under him. "Look at you, you're so feeble you can't even fight me anymore... You're not yourself, admit it !"

The Osakan, after he calmed a bit, aware after a few tries he wouldn't be able to free himself, felt his face blushed as he noticed the other was sitting on a very specific spot of his body and was bending so close to his face, being holding his arms.

"- Don'... Don' hold me like this unless ya want ta... unless ya're serious about it. Else it hurts too much." He stated, turning his head to look at the wall to hide the red on his cheek.

Shinichi looked with wide eyes at the teen, not understanding how so little contact could distract him.

 _"And to that extent ?!"_ He wondered in his mind, blushing with embarrassment as he felt the kind of "reaction" he was getting from the other's just by sitting on him.

And then he understood. He understood there probably was a way to stop his best friend from doing something stupid.

It's just it was... So strange ?

He wasn't disgusted by it... It's just he never thought of Heiji like that. The teen was handsome, clearly, in perfect physical shape, but Shinichi knew he was a hetero... Mostly ?

Wasn't there that pinch of... curiosity about same sex relationships ? ...Something else ?

And just how far was his pride going ? If that's all it took to stop his best friend to take his life, he had to try, without even a second thought...

"- I'll let you do want you want ..." He proposed in a whisper, drawing the other's attention back on him. He went on, bending his head even closer to Heiji's. "But just promise me you won't say you want to die anymore." The azure-eyed ordered, closing his eyes to put a slight kiss on the Osakan's lips.

The dark-skinned was now as red as a tomato, unable to believe the other just...

"- Ya... Ya don' even know what ya're offerin', Ahou..." He stated with a low voice, turning once again his look away.

Not even minding to answer, the detective of the East let go of the wrists of the Osakan and started to unbutton his own shirt, before throwing it away, his determined eyes locked in the other's.

Heiji blushed, gulping as he looked at his friend, more than conscious that he was somehow back to his grown-up body, detailing his torso as he never had, his pale skin, his thin but efficient build.

The teen was looking at him as if he was waiting for something, the Osakan could read it in his azure eyes, those piercing eyes that had been giving him chills lately, that had turned to a kind of lighthouse in his life.

Unable to retain himself anymore, the dark-skinned suddenly moved, swinging his legs to exchange their places, finding himself sitting on Shinichi's pants. Bending on him, he gently cupped his face, staring at him with his green eyes and finished his manoeuvre with a deep kiss, closing his eyelids to enjoy the moment.

His brain suddenly managed to regain control of his body, sending pikes of horror to his heart as he saw when he moved a bit away that Shinichi was keeping his eyes tightly closed, his whole body tensing in what very probably was fear of what the other was going to do to him.

With disgust, the Osakan kicked himself so fast away he almost slammed his back on the wall behind him.

"- I'm the worst..." He bitterly said, banging his head on the cement he was leaning against. "I can' believe I was goin' ta..." The detective added with a blank voice before, feeling nauseous, he rushed back to the bathroom.

Hearing the precipitated footsteps, the azure-eyed raised his head to see Heiji was facing the toilets, sick with disgust. He crossed the small distance between them and circled his chest with his arm from behind. "I told you it was ok..." He said, putting his head against the detective of the West's back.

"- Ya're even more stupid than I am... Yer whole body says it doesn' want ta..." The green-eyed teen pointed out when he was finally able to turn to the other, with a blank face and a dirty shirt.

Seeing the stain on the cloth, Shinichi approached his hand to remove slowly the buttons of the shirt.

"- Just don'...

\- It needs to be washed." The Tokyoite stated with pragmatism, pushing away the arm Heiji had put between them, his hand already on the last button.

Once the shirt fell, he looked at the other chest, impressed at the muscles he could distinguish, though they weren't too prominent, and gave a harmonious effect. Clearly, Kendo helped with having a nice upper body. With a sad smile, the azure-eyed teen's hand gently touched the remaining scars of the accident, with its shining new skin, just near his left floating ribs.

When his azure eyes met the other's green, he saw the surprise in Heiji's look, clearly wondering how he could still want to touch him. Wanting to brush that wrong idea he had away, the detective of the East bent to let a swift kiss on the Osakan's lips.

"- I'm tensed because I'm a bit afraid." He admitted as he moved away. "But not of what you could do to me. I know you wouldn't hurt me."He added with a warm smile. "Ne, let's just forget everything. Everything that happened, everything that could happen. Who we are. And let's forget everything that could happen tonight, starting tomorrow.

\- That's..." The dark-skinned tried to articulate with an incredulous face, not knowing what to do or what to think, divided between his male urges and common sense. "Kudô, it's...

\- Shinichi." The other teen corrected with a firm voice, feeling names should stop to be a barrier between them.

"- Shinichi, that's..."

Hattori's objections were interrupted when the azure-eyed forced him on the floor and approached his mouth to his ear. "I said, let's forget everything..." he reminded to him.

o.O.o

Eyes suddenly snapping open, the Tokyoite woke up with a start, to find an empty spot at his side, just where Hattori had been lying after that sweet night they shared.

He quickly got up, to see only his clothes - well, the clothes he borrowed to the Osakan - were on the floor and Shinichi started to dread for the worst, before spotting a note on his bedside table.

Sitting as he grabbed the little paper, he started to read it, his face saddening at each word.

 _"_ _I'll respect that promise, I won't try to kill myself. Won't try to die either. That, I assure you._

 _Thank you for last night. And sorry I forced you, I don't think I'll ever be able to face you after that._

 _We won't see again, I'll be_ _leaving the country, finding myself something to do, some other place to belong to. Send my stuff back to my parents, if you can._

 _You're the best thing that happened to me, Shinichi. Sorry I spoiled it all._

 _Heiji"_

The azure-eyed teen's hands were clenched really hard around the note, as he was lost in his thoughts.

He didn't know, and that was quite new to him...

What happened last night was... Of course it had to do with his friend's distress but... He'd never say he regretted it. Or did it out of pity. Out of curiosity maybe. And he clearly couldn't deny he appreciated the sensations they shared, the warmth of the Osakan against his skin, the peaceful oblivion after they shared what some retarded would call a sin, a same sex physical relation.

He knew he had Ran to come back to but Heiji was also an important part of his life and to lose him was just...

The detective saw the tears on his hands and the paper before he knew he was crying.

He knew his friend would respect his promise.

He had managed to save his friend's life. But at what cost ?

In the end, for him, he was as good as dead...

Shinichi let himself lie back in the bed, crossing his arms before his eyes, and sobbed, sobbed like never.

o.O.o

"- Get down !"

Conan froze as he recognized the voice, even with such a short exclamation, that voice he hadn't heard for two whole years, that warm voice and its accent that gave him chills just at the thought.

But freezing in the middle of a hideout of the Organization wasn't a good idea, above all after a fierce fight, when only the most desperate and most dangerous members were the only one standing, starting with Gin and Vodka in that very room.

"- Ahou!"

The small detective only saw a dark shadow rushing to him, wrapping him between his wide arms, protecting him from any harm.

They rolled together, while two detonations echoed in the warehouse, and Heiji quickly pushed him behind a pile of wood boxes, getting two guns out.

"- Take that one... An' try ta go ta the other side..." He panted, giving one of the weapons to the boy who left with a nod.

Grimacing as he left the cover of the boxes, he shot towards the men in black and hit Vodka, sending him to the floor, not moving anymore.

Heiji's smirk when he saw he got his target quickly faded as his legs gave up under him and he had to put a knee on the floor, bringing his hand to his side as he coughed blood.

"- We knew you dogs would come with damn bulletproof jackets so we prepared a little surprise..." Gin stated with a smile, though his eyes were icy-cold as he approached the dark-skinned, his weapon aimed at his head

"- Piercin' bullets... Ya... Bastards..." The Osakan concluded, understanding the two impacts he had previously felt against his back had been going right through his vest, very probably wounding him heavily, seeing how feeble he felt and the taste of blood in his mouth.

"- That's it... Good bye." The blond-haired said, ready to fire.

"- Good bye to you !" The azure-eyed intervened, pulling his trigger, hitting the killer in the torso and sending him to the floor.

He quickly approached, kicking the man's weapon out of his reach, before turning to the green-eyed, not understanding how he could be here, look filled with startle.

"- Nice shot..." Heiji observed with a faint smile before finishing falling on the floor, unable to stay awake anymore.

"- Heiji !" The small detective called with worry, rushing by his side, horrified to see his hand come back tainted with blood as he tried to pat him. "HEIJI!"

o.O.o

"- It's been two years he's been helping us." Jodie stated as she sat near Conan who was on a chair, near the ER's door, head between his arms to hide his distress.

"- What ? !" The boy asked, suddenly turning at the FBI agent with a surprised look.

"- He called me one night. Asked me if he could help us." The blond-haired explained, her eyes dreamy as she remembered that evening. "He had only two demands. First was to help us against the Organization. Abroad if possible. I knew how valuable he was and English wasn't a problem to him so I convinced my boss to train him despite his age and sent him to our headquarters in the US. I visited him once or twice, I must say I've been impressed at how motivated he was and how he improved so fast each time I saw him. Six months ago, he was declared operational and sent back here, as a support against the BO. The fact he was young and a native Japanese was clearly an advantage in this fight.

\- And the second ?" The Tokyoite asked, though he had already guessed the answer.

"- Not to tell you the truth. He helped you in the shadows, Cool Guy." Jodie confirmed, locking her eyes in his. "Participated in a lot of missions. He was the one who found out the site we were in today. Usually, he didn't want to come in the operations you were having a role in, but he knew this could be your last fight and he didn't want to miss that.

\- And that's what sent him here... That baka." The azure-eyed boy sighed, looking at the red light above the door next to him with eyes filled with sorrow.

His eyes were starting to shine when he felt his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Conan gulped, not wanting to answer with a broken voice, and picked up the call. "Yea ?

\- Kudô-kun ? You ok ?

\- Yes... " The detective preferred to lie, not to worry the little scientist at the other side of the line. "We got them. Anything new on your side, Haibara ?

\- I made it. The antidote. It's ready, Kudô-kun, thanks to the info you gave me. You can go back to your true body whenever you want."

The boy stayed silent, feeling he wanted to rejoice but wasn't able to, with Heiji undergoing an emergency surgery barely 10 meters away.

"- Kudô-kun ?

\- I got that. Thanks, Haibara. I'll be calling you later.

\- OK. Sure you ok ?

\- Mostly, yes. Laters."

Conan rubbed his temples after he hung up, still a bit divided about his feelings. That antidote he waited for during two long years was finally ready. But at what cost...

"- Everything alright ? Bad news ?" The FBI agent enquired, seeing he was done.

"- Nah, on the contrary. The antidote is ready. I can go back in my former body.

\- That's _great_ news ! " She exclaimed with a smile, glad to know he'd be at least back to himself.

She had learned the truth one year before, when he became really active in his hunt, and had been forced to share with the FBI that information that explained a lot of things about him. The fact the temporary antidote wasn't working anymore because he overused it also had rushed his decision to spill the beans.

"- But you don't have your "great news" face..." The girl stated, seeing how dark he still was.

"- How could I rejoice when Heiji is between life and death ?

\- He's strong you know. He wouldn't give up. Go and take that antidote so you'll be able to welcome him with your grown-up body." She ordered with a firm voice. At Conan's hesitation, she decided to add. "I'll call you if anything happens, ok ? It's barely a matter of hours, I don't think much would change in such a short notice. Take a taxi, you'll be faster to come back here."

The azure-eyed boy hesitated but finally took the money she was handing to him. "Sorry. Thanks..." He corrected at the blond-haired woman's frown.

"- Go !"

With one last nod, he rushed to the door, taking his phone out to warn Haibara he was coming at the professor's.

o.O.o

Heiji's eyelids were just beginning to flutter as Shinichi entered the room, a cup of coffee in his hand.

"- Hey !" He smiled, settling back on the chair he had just left near his best friend's bed.

"- H..." The Osakan tried to say, before starting a coughing fit.

"- Easy, you've just been extubated, take your time." The azure-eyed detective explained, turning to fetch a plastic glass filled with water with a straw in it.

As he was slowly drinking the liquid, the dark-skinned teen's eyes fell on his friend, to notice he was back to his normal body.

"- I thought... The antidote didn'...

\- ... Work anymore ? Yea. But for the definitive one, that's a different thing.

\- It's... Ya'll stay in that form ?!"

At his friend's nod, the detective of the West had a wide smile. "That's great, ya'll be at last ... able ta go back ta yer Nee-chan..." He started to say without any bitterness, feeling truly happy for his friend.

"- We separated." Shinchi interrupted him. He had a sad smile at the other's surprise. "After you left, I found the courage to tell her the truth. It was a hard blow on her. On us. I hurt her. Every minute of every day since. I had lost the hope to go back to my body. She... gave up last year, she couldn't wait for me anymore, this life filled with lies was too much for her. She found herself someone else a few months ago. That was perhaps for the best, they seem happy.

\- If yer body or yer lies were the problem... then go back ta her, everythin' is over now..." Heiji pointed out with his usual honesty, a scolding look on his face, knowing how his friend had been in love with Ran, since they were young.

"- Heiji... I can't really say I stopped her to go away." He answered, shaking his head. "In fact, there was that little part of me who thought... Ne... Did you forget that night... ?" Kudô asked, locking his eyes in Hattori's and taking his hand.

"-What night ? " The Osakan said with a straight face, before smirking at the other's wounded look. "O' course not, ya Ahou.

\- Well, neither did I. Question is... Did anything change ? I would understand, I've taken my sweet time to...

\- Ya mean... Are ya... ?" Heiji tried to ask, blushing as he wasn't able to articulate a whole sentence, too surprised at the other's words, not wanting to believe in what he was implying

Amused at the red on his cheek, Shinichi bent on his friend to put a kiss on his lips. "I love you, Hattori Heiji. Sorry for being so long to understand it."

A wide smile on his face as the azure-eyed was moving away, the dark-skinned felt butterflies in his stomach, and it had nothing to do with his wounds. "I love ya too, Shinichi. My feelings didn't change since then.

\- Then hurry up to heal, how can I hug my boyfriend when he's bandaged from head to toe ?! " The detective of the East gently scolded, squeezing tenderly his hand.

"- Aye sir!" The Osakan said, rising a hand to his forehead as he could in a kind of military salute.

Happiness was written all over his face : after such trials, after such a long time, after such a roller coaster, between the darkest place and the highest pleasures.

Heiji thought about something Kazuha used to tell him, to cheer him up in difficult times.

 _"_ _After the storm, there may be a rainbow."_

And indeed, he had found his.


End file.
